Great, easy going and stylish hotel

from anonymous

We loved this. We had heard good reviews and it definitely delivered. Our room was in fact two; split into a bedroom/sitting area (with a separate shower basin and toilet) plus a room with free standing, large, deep bath. Both rooms had flatscreen TVs. We felt very oppulent watching TV whilst soaking in the bath. We booked a table in the Bistro, which was reasonably full considering it was a Monday evening, in January. Our food was excellent, as was the wine. After dinner we moved to the cigar room (we live in Ireland, where smoking in public has been banned for some time, so to see smokers was strange), where we played snooker on the full size table. Breakfast the following day was relaxed and the food once again excellent. Although we stayed for just one night, we felt thoroughly rested and relaxed on departure. Our stay was not cheap - but then we did go for the larger room, the better Chablis, several food courses - but certainly value for money. Next time we hope to see more of the locale, as it looked wonderful.

A blissful experience

from bobbypants

After having experienced a night of hell the night before at the Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells, the Hotel du Vin was a blissful experience. We were attending a wedding at the hotel, and all in all, it was a wonderful location, with good service and a delicious breakfast. The room was small but very clean and comfortable, while the bathroom, although small as well, was really nicely decorated. We were encouraged to take the large bottles of bathroom toiletries with us. What great value for money! I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a place to stay in a very nice town. And I would go back there again. In fact the wedding couple loved it so much, they returned to stay there a month after getting married there.

Good but could do better

from SarahHLeicester

I really loved my room in this hotel - tastefully decorated, comfortable bed, good other facilities.

The bathroom was fabulous with a huge bath and separate shower.

All very very clean.

Excellent idea to have DVD's available for guests, with players in every room. Shame that we left it too late and all good films had gone.

Restaurant was okay for evening meals - although prior research had promised excellence it failed to live up to this and was disapointing. Bland, poor portions and very oily. Breakfasts were better but they were particularly stingy with the toast - at the price of the room, what is a few extra slices of bread??!

All in all though - I'd recommend a stay, the rooms are fab just pop out to Wagamama round the corner for an evening meal - quick, tasty and much more reasonable in cost for an evening meal!

Excellent stay with helpful staff

from Walkingape

Our stay here was brilliant- the bedroom itself was medium sized but the double bath and wet room was brilliant with quality complementary products (I think it was moulton brown).

The staff were part of the stay that really made it- the young concierge was infromal but very knowledgable and helpful and the sommelier who came to advise us, whilst be were choosing from the menu over a drinkin the bar, was very helpful and did not try to steer us to the more expensive choices (did however reccomend a great sauternes with my foie gras).

Overall definitely advise staying here

Delicious Dinner at Hotel du Vin

from fibilou

My boyfriend and I had spent the day in Tunbridge Wells shopping, and I suggested having "a bite to eat" at Hotel du Vin, having eaten there before.

I thought we would be able to get something light to eat in the bar (having just spent 2 days at the Ashdown Park Hotel dining like kings we felt that a light meal was in order !), but not so. However, the delightful lady on reception must have seen my face fall when she explained that they were fully booked in the restaurant but could not have been more accomodating in squeezing us in.

We were shown through to the bar, which has an unusually good selection of european beers, from Kreick to biere blonde and an excellent choice of wines by the glass. We were given a bowl of roasted pistachios to munch while perusing the menu. The bar area is dark and cosy, and if you like people-watching it is a great place to practise your sport.

Instead of the "light bite" we had planned, we ended up having a 3 course meal with wine and coffee ! Boyo selected a goats cheese and chicken raviolo with roasted tomato sauce, and I had pan fried scallops. We chose the Chateaubriand for 2 as our main course, which was absolutely the most succulent piece of meat that I have ever taken fork to (I used to work as a chef in a 5* hotel) and was cooked to blue perfection. The chips were hot and cripsy and came seasoned with sea salt flakes. My only niggle is that you have to pay for vegetables separately, this always annoys me. The chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream was almost as good as my own, and boyo was so stuffed that he could not finish his banoffi pie, an event so unusual that the chef deserves a medal for managing to fill him up.

A very reasonable £45 per head for pre-dinner drinks, wine and a three course meal with coffee for two. So good that I felt compelled to have lunch at the Brighton branch a couple of weeks later....

Loved the hotel

from anonymous

I have just had a fantastic stay in the Hotel du Vin. My room, Yering Station featured an enormous bed (big enough for an army should one wish), and was pretty good value considering the facilities and the general level of service provided by the hotel. I found the staff to be very friednly and ready to help with whatever we needed. You are treated as a welcome guest, rather than just a customer.

Our dinner in the restaurant was great, the plaice and the ravioli both come highly recommended. The breakfast looked lovely, but we were just too full from the night before to manage it!

All in all a really enjoyable stay.

Far prefer the Malmaison chain myself!

from hampy9907

My husband and I went here for a nice romantic weekend away. The hotel is just a short distance from our home in London and therefore ideal for a weekend break away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. This was our first trip to the Hotel du Vin in Tunbridge Wells and based on this experience we won't be repeating it. We paid for the superior room at £145. The room was pleasant enough, huge bed with crisp white bedding but in fact two singles pushed together rather than a real queen sized bed. The bed was also way too soft and squishy for our tastes and we both woke up in the morning with back ache. The bathroom was nice with a huge bath to relax in but the over bath shower was a real disappointment with a pretty pathetic trickle of water. However my main gripe with this room was that the TV was a small 9 inch portable set that must have been at least 10 years old with appalling reception that they had stuck in the wardrobe! Neither of us are paticularly keen TV watchers but this seemed paticularly cheap and nasty given the price we were paying! One good thing is that all the rooms have names and if you are allocated the Calvados suite as we were (ask when you book) beware and consider asking for a different room.

Our main disappointment with the hotel, however was the standard of food in the bistro / restaurant. We had heard good things about the food and and certainly the wine list is very impressive but the food totally failed to live up to our expectations. I had fish which was overcooked and so oversalted that it proved inedible. My husband had patridge which was palatable enough but accompanied by a side dish of leeks that had been burnt to a cinder. I sensed a kind of complacency on the part of the restaurant staff that their reputation is established and they don't need to try too hard. For me the fact that they brought something out to the table that had so obviously been ruined was testament to this. We mentioned to the waiting staff that the leaks and the fish had been inedible but the young girl who waited on our table seemed disintersted, apologised somewhat halfheartedly but did not offer anything else. All in all a pretty average experience for me. If you want classy boutique hotel with great in room facilities look for the Malmaison chain which is about the same price but the rooms are more comfortable overall and if you do decide to go here, give the restaurant a miss!

Comfy contemporary hotel in an old setting

from anonymous

Stayed here in June for our daughter's 12th birthday as we wanted to visit the area where AA Milne lived when writing Winnie-the-Pooh. We had a room with a sitting room where 2 comfy cots were placed for our daughter and 15 year old. It was a perfect set-up and appreciated since it's so difficult in Europe to find accommodations for a family of 4 without booking 2 rooms. Our room was great but above the entrance so it was a tad noisy. The highlight was the friendly gentleman at the desk late afternoon and evening. He couldn't have been nicer, providing advice on a variety of requests. The restaurant was quite good with the service professional and friendly. We were surprised the dover sole we ordered was not filleted for us which put a damper on my husband's meal. Suggest that the lighting in the hotel be softened and a table be placed in the bathrooms to hold one's toiletries.

Great value in this spa town..

from gatwickchap.

Have stayed here a number of times and always enjoyed it. When booking I have always asked for a superior room, and reception clearly inform you of what each available room is like. Beds in the superior rooms are large and comfortable with top quality linen and large bathrooms.

Unlike many English Hotels I have encountered no draughts, plenty of hot water and no snobbery, with high levels of service. When booking I have always been asked if I want to eat in the Bistro, as it is indeed very popular as the standard is exceptional and amongst the best in Tunbridge wells. The food is very rich however, and I would not want to eat here every night!!!!

Beware The Inconsitent Service

from anonymous

If you are guest at The Hotel du vin- Royal Tunbridge Wells and you are staying for more than 2 days, be aware that you'll start to notice the differences in customer service and as a staying guest you do not get priority to eat at the bistro which is very popular with locals! So if the bistro is fully booked you will find it very difficult to get a meal at the hotel. They will not serve you outside but sometimes they might! They won't let you have food in or around the various lounges and they discourage room service, except when they feel like it. Inconsistent rules on smoking, eating and booking a table. We were not asked to book early for the bistro and were treated with disdain when we did ask for a table. We were staying when Higher Management of The Hotel Du Vin were also there and the service

they received was exceptional! But we had to wait forever to get a drink, until we finally found someone to order from. The Head Wine Waiter was unfriendly and rude, except to his emloyers where he was all smiles and chit-chat! Some members of the Bistro staff were surly and abrupt. Our list could go on, we have complained to the manager of the hotel but he has yet to have the courtesy to contact us! We were going to stay for another 2 weeks as we were in Tunbridge on business, we decided not to and are staying

at The One Alwych which while more expensive, the service is superb and as a paying guest you are well catered for and looked after!

TripAdvisor Reviews Hotel du Vin & Bistro Royal Tunbridge Wells

Excellent

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